The Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses held a hearing in Washington on July 14 titled “Combating DEI in American Institutions.” Members discussed how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are viewed as pretexts for illegal and unconstitutional discrimination, focusing on allegations that employers and institutions discriminate based on race, sex, and national origin. The hearing also examined efforts by the Trump Administration to abolish what it considers illegal DEI policies.
Mike Gonzalez, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, testified that “The ultimate goal is to structurally transform museums into anti-racist, multiracial, multicultural institutions in a transformed society. Which brings us to the question, ‘what is DEI?’ The initials stand for things we should want. However, the intention of these words has been distorted as they now mean the opposite. ‘Diversity’ is now an ‘identity-based approach’ that violates individual character, enforces intellectual conformity, and demands quotas in order to attain community professionalism. As for ‘equity,’ it means ‘equality of outcomes,’ which is a violation of equality before the law. It sounds like equality, but it now means its opposite… Inclusion… means exactly its opposite—exclusion.”
Inez Feltscher-Stepman of Independent Women testified that “The previous Obama Administration redefined the basic word used in the Civil Rights Act of 1964—‘sex.’ Up until that point… ‘sex’ had meant biological sex. And all of a sudden… it suddenly included gender identity…” She added that enforcement practices have become hypersensitive to statistical disparities while overlooking intentional discrimination by universities or companies: “First… anti-discrimination law… had become hypersensitive to mere statistical disparities in outcomes and alleged microaggressions while looking the other way…”
Michael Shires from America First Policy Institute said DEI ideology has spread throughout academia: “Today this insidious ideology infects nearly every dimension of the academy…” He described experiences with university diversity committees requiring loyalty statements or hiring based on race or gender rather than ability.
Members referenced recent legal developments such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibiting employment discrimination based on protected characteristics and noted last year’s Supreme Court decision ruling racial discrimination unconstitutional in college admissions practices.
Gonzalez stated President Trump has issued executive orders targeting federal support for DEI initiatives: “President Trump has tried to reverse this regime through executive orders that explicitly target President Biden’s programs…” Feltscher-Stepman said, “But now we’re in 2026… this ideal that it’s illegal to use characteristics like race and sex …is being shaped in real time… The Trump Administration is …enforcing the Civil Rights Act and Constitution equally for all Americans.”